run

atthequillsmercy

Today’s Workout: Getting back to normal

I really hope I’m not jinxing myself when I say I’m getting back into running very slowly. Believe it or not, you’re not supposed to do strenuous workouts the first week after a tooth extraction because the increased blood flow could knock out the blood clot from the wound. The human body is such a disgusting miracle… I was taking it very easy. I don’t want to mess up and have to stop again. I do feel pretty good, even after moving a couch out of the house and to the curb. The thing was disgusting. So glad it’s finally gone.

Since I can eat normal food again (as long as I chew on the opposite side of the wound), I am sticking with thin-sliced or ground meat, steaming the vegetables a little longer than I’d like, and chopping the lettuce thin for salads. The infection is completely gone, and I’m almost done with my antibiotics. I am sincerely hoping this means my luck is turning around. I just need a couple months of normalcy, for fucks sakes…

I also got to try those viral Chloe’s Giant Cookies. They’re really good! Each one is six servings at 130-140 calories per serving. I tried the Lemon, Lava Cake, and Red Velvet and while it will probably take me forever to finish these, I wouldn’t mind getting more! I have other flavors on the way (Chocolate Chip and Cookies and Cream) and I’ll let you know if they’re any good.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Season One Complete!

Now, you may be saying: “Lenni, you already finished season 1 years ago!” And you are correct! These workouts were finishing all the season one Radio Abel clips. With some 5k trainer thrown in there. After NYCC, I kept up with some very easy walking workouts and I think it actually helped me recover faster! Moving more in general is good and the scale is inching in the right direction again. I’m also doing my crunches and upped the number of wall pushups. Kinda like my writing, bit by bit progress is being made.

I got some boneless chicken thighs on sale and made a whole batch of buttermilk fried chicken for me and my kid to eat during the week. For the first time, I had it over a bed of Napa cabbage and onion with lemon juice, olive oil, and lemon pepper on it. It was actually quite refreshing! I scored more of that amazing focaccia bread from the farmer’s market for sandwiches (yes, that is a book bento box), and I’m eating more types of vegetables. Sometimes, I have the energy to stand there and chop peppers, sometimes it’s lightly sauced steamed in the microwave vegetables. Lately, my calories have been over 1000 a day but I am totally ok with that if I’m active and it’s not junk food. I’m back on the Saxenda on a low dose. I don’t feel overfull and I think my nails are growing back attached. I’m super excited about that.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Longer Workouts and Adjustments

I finished the pirate missions and now I’m working through this spirit quest like one? It’s really interesting! I can’t always run but then I walk; trying to get in at least 40 minutes when there’s space in my schedule. Overtime hours are available again and instead of sleeping in longer, I get up and work out before I go in. I even managed to destroy the seam on another pair of running pants. Odd that I take that as a win… But I’ve also noticed more loose skin on my thighs even if the scale hasn’t moved as much as I’d like.

After the big clean out for the new fridge, I have been trying to use up more of the stuff I had in the freezer. It may be odd to be thinking “Gosh, I gotta eat all this bacon” because it’s on auto ship with my Butcher Box order (free bacon for life, baby) but I kept not eating it since it’s unhealthy. Then it just built up. BLT salads are a great way for me to get protein with my salads while taking a break from tuna. With grocery prices the way they are, I only buy things on sale and the bacon I have in the house is better for my wallet than going out to buy full-price tuna. And since I’m militant about calorie counting, I still log everything to make sure I’m in a calorie deficit, drink plenty of water, and try to keep averaging 7k steps a day. And honestly, even the piddly 20 wall pushups, 100 crunches, and 100 squats are making a difference. I have noticed I am stronger. I don’t get winded as quickly, I can pick up heavier things, and stuff I normally could lift, I can hold longer. This is not to say that moving large things like a mini fridge doesn’t result in muscle pain (I keep my Saxenda in a small fridge in my room, and I got a new one that has a self-defrost) but I did it. I did it all by myself. I do need to chill on the carbs more, though. And up my protein. I’m slowly building muscle and I want to keep that train rolling.

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Workout Dump: World Traveler and A Break

It’s been a hot minute since I posted about workouts, so here’s a snippet of what I’ve been doing. I finished all the Nellie Bly missions and started the pirate one. The step counter is working better, but it’s not exact. I rely on my watch or my ring to actually get my pace. These pics are pretty close, though. I’ll take it. I’ve been fairly active outside of this, too. Daily crunches and squats, and trying to remember doing some wall pushups. I’m still stuck around 209, but I NEED to give the Saxenda a break. I’m not a medical professional, but since the Saxenda fucks with my depression SO badly at times, I need to be off it for a while. I shouldn’t be waking up in the morning and immediately thinking, “I want to die.” My writing is suffering because aside from that thought, my brain is muffled and useless. Writing is the only way I’ve been able to make any money on the side, and I can’t have this medication making me creatively dead. I may gain some weight back, but I’m fine with that. I can restart it when I feel better. It’s not worth being skinny (which isn’t my goal anyway) if I can’t function! Even after less than a week off it, I already feel more balanced. I have noticed I’m hungrier, but even if I hit 1,000 calories a day, I feel overfull. I’ll keep checking in and talk to my doctors about this.

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atthequillsmercy

Workout Dump: Doodles

I normally don’t post the little notes I get from Zombies Run but this one from Sam is just too damn adorable! I really like these training missions! It’s so nostalgic with all the people I heard from way back in season one of the app coming back. And you’ll see I did one mission twice and that’s because I didn’t notice that it hadn’t been marked complete the first time. I just did it again. No biggie. Steps are steps.

I’m making good progress on cleaning out the freezer, which is why I made a random Cornish game hen in the middle of the summer. I don’t want to put the oven on but I also don’t want to waste food. I’m already tossing out a lot of random stuff I’ve unearthed and whenever I do, I hear my mother’s voice telling me that wasting food is a sin. I assuage my guilt by promising not to overbuy things in the future.

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atthequillsmercy

“Today’s” Workout: There’s clearly a problem

I honestly couldn’t tell you what the hell is going on with my Zombies Run app but I have made so many stride length adjustments since the last couple updates to the app and it just will not count my steps unless I’m shaking the phone like a damn maracca. I have my watch as a backup which shows the real step count, pace, and distance but the stats in ZR used to matter to me in terms of seeing my improvements or lack thereof. Now it’s all gone to shit. The 5k trainer within the app is great. I find it really encouraging. The intervals are different from Just Run which gives me some variety to make sure my body doesn’t get used to things and has a challenge. Every other app is tracking my steps just fine but I don’t know what is up with Zombies Run and my lazy googling hasn’t uncovered any other people having this issue. I’m trying for a 90 day workout challenge to try and burn off these last few pounds before NYCC and while this isn’t helping, it’s not hindering me either. I’m moving and that’s what counts. Any other day I’m not running, I’m on the desk bike or desk peddler.

My food has been interesting since I’ve been having my fingernails detach again. I’m doubling up on my multivitamins and switching some other things up. That salad is basically what I had in that croissant sandwich but in a salad without the bread. Those wasabi almonds are fantastic while I’m feeling peckish and I’ve been making progress on cleaning out the deep freezer/fridge by making things like that huge ass lamb leg. I baked it with potatoes and vegetables, then portioned it out for the week. I hate having to use the oven in the summer but, this stuff needs to be cooked and eaten. It’s all part of the big clean-out I’m doing of the whole house. If I can’t eat it, wear it, use it, or sell it, it’s going in the trash. Hopefully, I’ll sell enough stuff that I can give the sanitation workers a HUGE tip this year. They fucking deserve it considering what I’ve put them through.

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atthequillsmercy

Today’s Workout: An attempt was made

I’m so frustrated with how slow things are going that I decided to hop on the C210K trainer and the first workout was 53 minutes. I hadda stop at the third interval. I just couldn’t do it. I walked the rest. All of these workouts are too long for a weekday, so weekend warrior it is. I can either walk or bike during the week. Also, the stride length got reset with the Zombies Run app updated. I am so glad my watch keeps track of things as well. My in-app stats will be off but I’ll just have to live with that.

The farmer’s market by my job is back in business and I had to grab some of the delicious broccoli rabe ravioli and marinara sauce. I love farmer’s market season. They have amazing stuff. Dinner was healthy despite me wanting a burger. Probably craving protein after that long workout but I’m trying to get more veggies in and I was bored with romaine. Not a bad day, all things considered. I just have to regain my stamina for these longer runs.

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Today’s Workout: Setting off!

I’d meant to do the Nellie Bly missions a long time ago and despite characters talking over each other a bit too much for my liking, I like it! It’ll probably be like the last one and not include any zombies, which is fine. I enjoy the storytelling in this app. And this was another long 28 minute run and I think I need to take it easy. I’ve been going hard this week and after today’s run, I felt lightheaded. I’m a very hydrated girlie so, it wasn’t that. It was warmer than usual but I like to think I’m not that sensitive.

Right after my run, I ate my leftover hot pot and had one of the Eat Clean meals for dinner. Those aren’t half bad, but I wouldn’t buy them without the deep discount I’d won in a raffle. I grabbed a handful, cashed in the voucher, then immediately cancelled the subscription. These are handy for days like today where since I wasn’t feeling quite right, standing and chopping a bunch of ingredients to cook was out of the question. I also didn’t want to waste money on takeout; at least not during the week. I tend to save that for weekends as a treat for finishing all my chores on a Saturday. I work hard, I’m entitled to at least one day where I don’t have to cook. 

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Today’s Workout: Singing Snake

This was a fun side adventure. It really helped to distract me from having to run for 28 minutes straight (staring at the countdown timer is the WORST, I swear it makes everything feel longer) and I felt great after it was all said and done.

I snagged an apple to eat on the way towards the store after my run but I did treat myself to hot pot at home. I went heavy on the broccoli to load up on veggies but I wasn’t able to finish it all. I’ll probably have the rest tomorrow for lunch and It was so much food, this was more than enough for the whole day. So far, I’ve been averaging 7k steps a day for most of the month and I’m pretty proud of myself!

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Today’s Workout: My dogs are barkin’

After I did my run first thing in the morning, I cooled down and went right to walk to the store, then right into doing various chores. When I say my feet hurt, I am mostly whining but yeah, they are super sore, and my skin is freaking out that it’s been exposed to sunlight for more than 5 minutes. Don’t worry, I did use proper sun screen. I have enough problems. I’m not adding sun burn or skin cancer to the mix.

I had a left over patty from yesterday and since I wanted to get my shopping over with, I ate it on the way. By the time I sat down, I was feeling dizzy. Making dinner (yeah, I’m on a salad kick right now) was an adventure and I still feel kinda off kilter. Maybe I wasn’t hydrated enough? I have no idea. I still have at least two more runs to do this week so, I need to get it together.

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